1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to binding fasteners, and particularly to binding fasteners enabling a mountain climber wearing heavy mittens to easily attach crampons to hiking boots without the necessity of removing the mittens from his or her hands.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mountain climbers commonly utilize mountain climbing spikes, hereinafter referred to as crampons, fastened to their hiking boots by means of an assembly of bindings. The crampons commonly include a pair of horizontal hinged rails having a plurality of vertical spikes attached thereto. A plurality of eyelets or slotted openings are utilized to effect attaching of binding straps passing over the toe and upper portions of the hiking boots to the crampons. "D-rings" or the like passing through the eyelets are commonly used to engage the binding straps. The straps are passed through the D-ring loops; various buckles and slip rings are utilized to adjust the tension of the binding straps and securely fasten or grip the binding straps to prevent slippage. Various traction-increasing cleats, spikes and the like attachable by means of adjustable binders to mountain footwear or to vehicle tires are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,342,776, 2,588,801, 2,207,401, 754,577, 2,679,882 and 2,682,907. Only conventional latching and buckling devices are disclosed in the above patents for attaching the various traction-increasing devices. All of the various buckling and latching means have the shortcoming that it would be very difficult for a person wearing heavy mittens to either fasten or unfasten the buckles and/or fastening devices without removing his or her mittens.
It is frequently highly desirable that a mountain climber be able to remove his crampons or fasten them to his hiking boots without removing heavy mittens. Mountain climbers frequently encounter very cold, windy weather conditions. Further, it is frequently necessary for a mountain climber to unfasten his crampons for a number of reasons. For example, after ascending a steep crusted snow slope requiring crampons to ensure secure footing, the mountain climber may encounter a steep, rocky region next to be traversed. The mountain climber would ordinarily like to remove the crampons in order to more comfortably and safely climb the steep rocky region. However, under adverse weather conditions, he could increase the chance of frostbite to his fingers if it were necessary for him to remove his mittens in order to unfasten his crampons. And, of course, crampons must be removed before a mountain climber enters a mountain tent in order to avoid damage to the tent.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a binding strap fastener which can be easily fastened or unfastened without the exercise of the amount of manual dexterity required by binding strap fasteners of the prior art.
It is another object of the invention to provide a strap fastener which can be readily fastened or unfastened by a person wearing heavy mittens.
It is another object of the invention to provide a crampon binding strap and fastener which is easily fastened and unfastened by a mountain climber wearing heavy mittens.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,686,920 and 3,407,452 show various belt buckles. However, such buckles are not readily suitable for application to binding straps for crampons, since manual dexterity is required to utilize such buckles.
A crampon binding manufactured by Mountain Safety Research Corporation, shown on pages 13-19 of Issue 13 (April, 1978) Mountain Safety Research Catalogue and Newsletter, is presently believed to disclose the closest prior art binding fastener. That binding fastener includes a hinged closed loop or ring through which a flexible binding strap is passed. The closed ring then swings against a serrated edge which bites into the flexible strap to prevent slippage. The strap is then bent sharply back against the serrated edge and slid laterally beneath a first overhanging retaining tab and is then flexed in an opposite direction and slid under an oppositely oriented second retaining tab. The Mountain Safety Research fastener has a primary disadvantage in that it is practically impossible to unfasten the device when wearing heavy mittens. It has the further shortcoming that a binding strap must be pulled tightly to establish the desired tension of the binding strap before the binding strap is bent back against the serrated edge and slid under the two retaining tabs. The foregoing device has a further shortcoming in that if the binding strap material in the vicinity of the serrated edge strikes a rock, twig, hard snow crust, or the like, the resulting jolt may cause some slippage of the binding strap past the teeth of the serrated edge, loosening the bindings, and possibly endangering the mountain climber.
It is therefore yet another object of the invention to provide a crampon binding and fastener which is not susceptible to slippage or inadvertent unfastening due to being struck by snow crusts, rocks, twigs, and the like.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a crampon binding system which can be readily unfastened and/or refastened without changing a predetermined binding strap tension adjustment of the binding system when it is in the fastened configuration.